1960s
"The Sixties", as they are known in both scholarship and popular culture, is a term used by historians, journalists, and other objective academics; in some cases nostalgically to describe the and revolution in social norms about clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, and schooling; and in others pejoratively to denounce the decade as one of irresponsible excess, flamboyance, and decay of social order. The decade was also labeled the because of the fall or relaxation of social taboos especially relating to and that occurred during this time, but also because of the emergence of a wide range of music; from a folk music revival, to the Beatles revolution, to the serious lyrics of Bob Dylan and Paul Simon. Norms of all kinds were broken down, especially in regards to civil rights and expectations the men would go off to meaningless wars. Commentator described this era as a classical nightmare cycle, where a rigid culture, unable to contain the demands for greater , broke free of the social constraints of the previous age through extreme deviation from the norm. He charts the rise, success, fall/nightmare and explosion in the London scene of the 1960s. Several nations such as the United States, United Kingdom, France, and turned to the in the early and mid-1960s. By the end of the 1950s, war-ravaged Europe had largely finished reconstruction and began a tremendous economic boom. World War II had brought about a huge leveling of social classes in which the remnants of the old feudal gentry disappeared. There was a major expansion of the middle class in western European countries and by the 1960s, many working-class people in Western Europe could afford a radio, television, refrigerator, and motor vehicle. Meanwhile, the East such as the Soviet union and other Warsaw Pact countries were improving quickly after rebuilding from WWII. The United States, after sluggish economic growth during the 1950s, also experienced a major '60s boom. Real GDP growth averaged 6% a year during the second half of the decade. Thus, the overall worldwide economic trend in the 1960s was one of prosperity, expansion of the middle class, and the proliferation of new domestic technology. The dominated geopolitics during the '60s, with the struggle expanding into developing nations in Latin America, Africa, and Asia as the Soviet Union moved from being a regional to a truly global and began vying for influence in the developing world. After President , direct tensions between the US and Soviet Union cooled and the superpower confrontation moved into a contest for control of the Third World, a battle characterized by s, funding of insurgencies, and puppet governments. In response to campaigns from groups like the (SNCC) and the (SCLC), U.S. President , a and staunch , pushed for social reforms. Kennedy's assassination in 1963 was a shock. Liberal reforms were finally passed under including civil rights for and healthcare for and . Despite his large-scale programs, Johnson was increasingly reviled by the at home and abroad. The heavy-handed American role in the outraged student protestors around the globe. The upon working with underpaid and the , and , defined politics of violence in the United States. In Western Europe and Japan, organizations such as , the , and the tested ability to satisfy its marginalized or alienated citizenry amidst . In Britain, the gained power in 1964. In France, the led to President temporarily fleeing the country. For some, May 1968 meant the end of traditional collective action and the beginning of a new era to be dominated mainly by the so-called . Italy formed its first left-of-center government in March 1962 with a coalition of , , and moderate . joined the ruling block in December 1963. In Brazil, became president after resigned. In Africa the 1960s was a period of radical political change as 32 countries . Category:Contemporary history